COCKER SPANIEL AT GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE.

A BOY AT HIS GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE AT THE STATUE OF A DOG IN LONDON IN 1950S

At your grandmother’s house
on the stairs
there was a statue
of a cocker spaniel

medium sized
with bright eyes
that seemed
to follow you

up and down
the staircase
brown
and white

and cream
with that stiff tail
which didn’t wag
and you patted

its head
as you went by
or listened
to see if it breathed

or if you tapped its nose
it might bark
and as it didn’t
you imitated

a child’s bark
and Gran called out
what that’s noise Benedict?
you playing

with that dog statue again?
no Gran
you replied
just got a cough

and you went by
the cocker spaniel
giving it a cold stare
and down

in the passage afterwards
you imagined the dog
would follow you down
wagging the stiff tail

giving you
the bright eyed stare
but it didn’t come
it just stayed there

icy cool
sans bark
sans waggy tail
and Gran called

come on Benedict
come down now.